Festivals are lively events that bring together Tibetans from all over the plateau. The more than 100 major and minor festivals that take place throughout the year include horse racing, dancing, singing, praying, and displays of religious artwork.
Below is the schedule for Tibetan Festivals in 2020. If your travel schedule allows, it is worth arranging a trip to Tibet when festivals are taking place.
| Festivals | Region | Dates (2024) | Notes |
| Tibetan New Year (Losar) | Lhasa/Kham/Amdo | Feb 10th | Lively one to two week festival celebrating the new year. Most important festival of the year.More info… |
| Monlam Prayer Festival | Lhasa/Kham/Amdo | Feb 13 -Feb 28th | The Great Prayer Festival. Many pilgrims gather at the Jokhang and other monasteries. More info… |
| Butter Lamp Festival | Lhasa/Amdo | Feb 24th | Monks compete in building tall butter sculpture offerings. Commemorates Buddha’s miracle at Sravasti. Fires and lamps are lit. |
| Saga Dawa
(The holiest religious festival ) |
Lhasa/Kham/Amdo | May 23rd | Important month for pilgrims. Birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni. More info…
Recommended trip:Saga Dawa Kailash Kora |
| Kalachakra day and Thangka Unveiling | Lhasa/Shigatse | June 20th-22nd | A giant thangka painting is hung at many famous monasteries, one of the best is Tashilhunpo Monastery which displays three consecutive days, First day displays past buddha, second day displays present buddha and third day displays future buddha. This day you can practice meditation, recitation of sutras and taking eight Mahayana precepts. |
| Zamling Chisang/Samye Dolde | Lhasa / Samye | June 22nd | Universal Incense Offering Day. Picnic, sing, and dance in the park and Tibetans go to the tops of local mountains to burn incense and hang prayer flags. |
| Thangka Unveiling, Monks Mask Dance, Religious rituals | Amdo/ Kumbum Monastery | May 7th -8th | Prayers, thangka unveiling, monks’ mask dance. This is also Amitabha Bdudha,meditation, recitation of sutras and taking Eight Mahayana Precepts, Kalachakra day |
| Choekor Duchen
Great Prayer Festival |
Lhasa | July 9th | Commemorates and honoring the day that the Buddha Shakyamuni first taught the four noble truths in Sarnath, India, and first turned the wheel of the dharma. |
| Gyantse Horse Racing Festival | Gyantse County | July 20-23rd | Horse & yak racing, dancing, singing, and games. This is the biggest festival in Gyantse |
| Shoton Yogurt Festival | Lhasa | Aug 4th- 11th | Thangka unveiling at Drepung Monastery. Picnics and operas are held in parks, particularly under the trees at Norbulingka park. Bonfires at night. |
| Nagchu Horse Race | Lhasa | Aug 10 -15th | Horse & yak racing, dancing, singing, and games. |
| Lhabab Dechen | Lhasa | Nov 22nd | Festival observing the descent of Buddha from heaven. |
| Palden Lhamo Festival | Lhasa | Dec 15th | A float of Tibet’s protector deity Palden Lhamo is paraded through the city. |
| Ganden Ngachoe | all Tibet regions | Dec 25th | Memorial for Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school. Buddhists light lamps, make offerings, and pray. |
| Ganden Thangka Unveiling | Lhasa Ganden | July 21st | A giant thangka painting is hung at Ganden Monastery.
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| Jyekundo Horse Festival | Kham – Yushu | July 25-30 | The biggest horse racing and yak racing festival in Tibet, Tibetan people all over the Kham region come for camp at Batang horse racing grassland, singing, dancing, enjoy the unique cultural festival. |
| Litang Horse Festival | Kham – Litang | August 1-5 | Horse racing, circle dance, fashion shows. |
| Kumbum Monastery Festival | Amdo | July 27th | Prayers, thangka unveiling, monks’ mask dance. This is also Amitabha Bdudha,meditation, recitation of sutras and taking Eight Mahayana Precepts, Kalachakra day |
| Ngawa Losar / Monlam | Amdo | Feb 6th- 8th | Horseback fashion show, strength contest, giant thangka unveiling. |
| Labrang Losar/Monlam | Amdo | Feb 6-9th | Commemorates Buddha’s miracle at Sravasti, thangka unveiling. |
| Repkong Losar / Monlam Prayer Festival | Amdo | Jan 29th- Feb 8th | Commemorates Buddha’s miracle at Sravasti, village tea party, monks Cham mask dance, Thangka unveiling and many other activities in Rebkong, Amdo Tibet.More info… |
| Repkong Shaman Festival | Amdo / Rebkong | Aug 5th- 15th | Ritual demon exorcism, village Shamen dancing performance and Tibetan traditional dress showMore info… |
| Butter Sculpture Arts Exhibition | Amdo Kumbum/Labrang | Feb 8th (evening) | Monks compete in building tall butter sculpture offerings. Commemorates Buddha’s miracle at Sravasti. Fires and lamps are lit. This festival is held in Kumbum, Rebkong, Labrang and Ngawa in Amdo Tibet |
